Chani Lynn Feener

“And you’re sure it’s not just that he’s quiet and aloof and that makes you desperate to crack through his hard exterior?”

This is an amazing stand-alone Detective Sci-Fi Romance that I read in 2 days because I could not put it down. The story keeps you engaged with the ever-unfolding details as our team travels to find a mysterious thief. The world-building is well done leaving the reader with a great comprehension of the universe they are in. Each of the main characters has a show more solid build and the main couple have a slow-burn romance that pays off at the end. I highly recommend picking up this amazing book to fill your next reading itch.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. (less) show less

Detective Shadow Yor knows what makes people tick. His defective empathetic abilities allow him to see the true nature of the people around him, which is perfect for his job. If only it wasn't also extremely debilitating, causing migraines and sensory overload.

On the trail of a righteous serial killer who seems to be killing undiscovered criminals and providing mountains of evidence to close cold cases, Shadow finds himself ensnared in the webs of art reporter, Apollo Orobas who is much show more more complicated than he seem and entirely more dangerous than that.

Chani Lynn Feener is fast becoming a new favourite author writing super enjoyable books with unique world building - even if it's on the thin side. That said, her books are definitely not for everyone - most of them are dark, twisted and come with a ridiculous amount of trigger warnings. They feature relationships that should never ever occur in real life and are so utterly fkd up that calling it abuse would be an understatement.

Between the Devil and the Sea is probably the worst one I've read so far in terms of the problematic nature of the relationship between the love interests. The first 40% was great. After that it was awkward? Uncomfortable? Wrong? I like dark romance but this just hit badly. The rape and the thoughts Apollo has about their relationship was just disturbing. And like I know the rest was disturbing too but it was still in my parameters of dark and twisted romance. This was just past my comfort levels.

I kept reading but honestly it became a bit of a slog to get through. It didn't help that it was overly long and became rather repetitive towards the end. It was a bit disappointing since the first 40% was so good. The build up of the relationship between Shadow and Apollo was intense. It was steamy and flirty and batshit insane. Shadow was depressed and snarky and insecure and brittle and I was rating it. Apollo was brutal and tricky and a real mind fk.

I liked the friendship between Shadow and Gael, his police partner and I enjoyed the investigation into the murders. The inclusion of the other policemen was great, the easy friendship the four of them strike up was fun and had some great moments. I would've liked to see more of that and more of the investigation. The twist towards the end of who the murderer was, got kind of messy. It kind of came out of nowhere. I would've liked a bit more foreshadowing or build up for the reveal.

An angsty, twisted, steamy and disturbing read that starts strong but soon passes far out of my comfort level. 3 stars. show less

Nix's mission to uncover the truth about his cousin pulls him into the dangerous world of the Demons of Foxglove Grove, and things spiral fast. The mix of dark sci-fi, suspense, and steamy MMM+ romance kept me completely engaged. The narration by Harley Chase, Freddie Wills, J. Tipstone, and TJ Clark was good; each brought so much personality and emotion to their roles. Lake’s possessiveness, West’s raw intensity, and Yejun’s charm all felt incredibly real. The plot is gripping, the show more tension is high, and it ends on a cliffhanger that left me desperate for more. If you're into twisted romance with danger and depth, this is a must-listen. show less

This is the kind of mafia story I prefer, where the mafia MC is tough/possessive but not overtly abusive. Really well-written character stuff especially with Rabbit and his need for someone to take care of him, but he's resistant because of trauma and because his love interest is a possessive jerk. I did think the ending with the friend who wasn't really dead was a bit OOT, but I guess it ties up the plotlines neatly. Not sure if I'll read the other books but maybe-- the next one is a show more romance with another crazy mafia guy and a tertiary character who briefly shows up in this book. show less